New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-07

children, named Kennedy, were on the wrecked
| train. No trace Of them has been found, how
ever Two bodies were pulled out from under
the ice of the White River this morning. The
search for clews in the shape Of bits Of jcwelry.
clothing and knick-knaclls is kept up constantly
| It is only too probable that drowned or
| burned bodies, or parts Of bodies, may be found
tonight and tomorrow. Travel has been re-
sumed on the railroad passengers being driven
across the White River at the burnt bridge tn
sleighs and put on board o train kept standing
| close up to the edge Of the steep and blackened
abutment.
| The Woodstock bridge from which the train
was thrown headlong ON Saturday morning, and
which was burned with the cars, used to span the
shallow, turgid White River, about four miles
above its junction with the Connecticut River
The swift mountain torrent here spread itself
into tranquil piece Of water some $50 feet wide,
running between the hill slopes that break of
abruptly near at hand each side. The Yer
mont Central trails along the west bank from
White River Junction up. hiding its rows OF tele-
graph poles for the most part in cut back some
distance from the banks. At Woodstock II
turned sharply crossing the river on the long
bridge, a sort Of square-shaped tunnel resting on
three stone piers, sixty feet high in the air.
The night train had left White River Junction
shortly after a. m. yesterday and was bowling
along at the night rate OF speed-ffteen miles an
hour, perhaps-of these far northern one-track
railroads. just before it struck the bridge q
wheel on the hindmost Pullman car broke, draw
ing the trucks on the railroad ties. The engine
and baggage car had almost crossed the river
The two passenger and the other Pullman cars
were on the unprotected bridge tracks high in the
air. The humping car dragged on the bridge
way and made lurch to the right, losing Its
pose and tumbling into the darkness The
other Pullman and its passengers tugged TO
save it, but in vain. The coupling that held the
baggage car and engine to the rest Of the train
broke and the four coaches dragged, one by
one over the bridge side into the tightly frozcn
river The two Pullman cars broke the Ice thc
other cars lay overturned its surface. The
horror at tho scene is almost beyond description.
With the groans and agony Of the crushed and
manned, the frantic struggles Of the pent-up sur
ferers to escape. the rush Of water into the sub
MERGED cars near the west bank, the sudden
bursting OF the flames from the woodwork set
afire by the broken stoves, the smoke and conft-
sion the flare Of the burning cars and bridge.
and finally the smouldering away OF the huec
waste Of combustibles the joy and fright ana
terror Of those who escaped alive, the puhgeht.
sichcning oior Of burnt human flesh. What could
be done in the dead OF winter night IN the
lonely Vermont hills to save the 1ll-starred pas
sengers was done, OF course, with zeal and haste
but so quick and fatal was this combination OF
wreck and fire. that but one in five, PERHAPS OF
the whole trains passengers got sately on NJ
amount OF care and attention for the suffering
can make the disaster less appalling. That care
and attention, however, have been Of the most
painstalling and best. The two hotels, PeaSe s.
at Hartford. and the Junction House, at White
River Junction have been turned into temporary
hospitals, and the VILLAGERS on both sides OF the
river have thrown open their houses for inc
wounded and their friends. Few Of the Injured
are really in danger now, though the long deaoh
lisb at Woodstock will probably have TO DC
stretched still further in case or two' Inc
railroad companies that have offices here nave
ordered on staff OF physicians, and everything 10
| tho vav OF special care or relief Of any SORT Is
given to anxious and fearful friends ana parents
The scene OF the wreck has been the one pont OF
interest to-day for all the country round. Hun
dreds Of sleighs gay cutters, old baskets' woodeh
sleds and family carryalls, with seats for Dozen
have swarmed down upon the laborers picking
and di ,ging at the wreck. The little white
house on the river bank, in which Conductor
| Surtevant lay dying, was hedged In on every
side with sleghs and horses, and across the riNel
ST tched thick, black line OF curious specta-
tors. stamping to keep warm, up to their ankles
i'm snow and sheltering themselves as bes0 tney
could under the stout fur coats and muller whici
In the liIls of Vermont and New-liampshTe arr
! the only winter wear. With q set OF rope lines
Conductor Bean at work at the head OF some
| eighty or ninety railroad hands, French Cana
dians or rough mountaneers, who prled among
The rubbish nonchalantly, curious only when somo
bit OF gold or silver shone from the mass. Inc
blaclened and cracked granite piers had still a
|
smoke rising faintly in the midst of the light
flakes of snow. At the edge of tho high abut-
ments. on either side of the burnt bridge. stood
tuo Locomotives with their relief trains, also
nufapo lazIly against the white hills and sky
From hank TO bank Of the river to the south OF the
| towering piers, lay charred mass OF refuse from
the fire. with car tracks, twisted rails, bits OF DrasS
and iron work, warped brakerods and sheets OF TN
| holf hur,ed in it, The wrecks of the two Pullman
oars had been iished out from the holes where tne
shallow black water showed its current. Long
ropes. with block and tackle were attached 10 the
fragments, and by constant heavng the ironworK
was drawn piece by piece aside and carted OH 10
serve for scraps.
Most of the doad bodies had been taken away on
| Saturday but force of men was still at WORK wi1D
Gro wbars, breaking apart the charred and frozen
debris in search of trinkets or bits oil
clothes to identify the victims. A big man
in rich fur coat stood by for an hour eagerly scam
n,ng the pieces which the picks turned up In time
he got together locket, a charm, sieeve-button
or two. a lock of hair aud scrap of dress. Even
the Canadians looked solemn when he turned TO 20
away at last. Another party careessly loosening
some blaokened cakes of ice brought out piece OF
coat pocket in which was stuck an unnamed
hand No one could recogulze it, though 1t was
plainly mans 1t was taken along with severed
limbs and trunks which had been saved from the
ashes yesterday to Undertaken Johnsons shop;
All day long the gang of railroad men puiieo anu
tugged at the sohd pieces OF the wreck an. pr'ed
osav at the thick rough ice. Little was left how
aver but that which fell to pieces at touch, or
heavy bits of iron BY tomorrow evening. most